Dishwasher: One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States

Description

Dishwasher is the true story of a man on a mission: to clean dirty dishes professionally in every state in America. Part adventure, part parody, and part miraculous journey of self-discovery, it is the unforgettable account of Pete Jordan's transformation from itinerant seeker into "Dishwasher Pete"-unlikely folk hero, writer, publisher of his own cult zine, and the ultimate professional dish dog-and how he gave it all up for love.

Pete Jordan spent twelve years on his cross-country quest before finding love and abandoning both the dishroom and his country. In 2002 he moved to Amsterdam with this wife and began a new life as a bicycle mechanic and writer. Jordan chronicled his adventures in dishing on pubic radio's This American Life and in the 'zine Dishwasher, which amassed a cult following of nearly 10,000 readers.

"A humorous page-turner." -- Playboy "An instant American classic. " -- San Francisco Bay Guardian "Dishwasher may not raise your opinion of the average dish dog, but it will help you understand why not." -- New York Times Book Review "[Jordan has]...a knack for storytelling," -- New York Post "A slacker's idyll." -- New York Times "A fun graduation gift for your favorite smart aleck." -- Charlotte Observer "[An] amusing memoir." -- People (3 1/2 out of 4 Stars) "A (casual) rallying cry for those disinclined toward the nine-to-five." -- Chicago Reader "This memoir has it all--humor, insight, pathos, adventure, travel and piles of dirty dishes." -- Sacramento Bee "Highly entertaining." -- The Oregonian (Portland) "[A] good story, well told...ironic...worth reading." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Everyone has a story; some people's are just more interesting than others. Such is the case with Pete Jordan." -- Chicagoist "The writing is lucid and earnest...Jordan's passion for dishwashing and...blowing-in-the-wind traveling is infectious." -- Publishers Weekly "[An] enjoyable manifesto celebrating rootless irresponsibility, with rueful acknowledgment of the pitfalls therein." -- Kirkus Reviews "One of the most entertaining memoirs. . . . The book's exploration of the dishwashing subculture is fascinating." -- Booklist (starred review) PRAISE FOR DISHWASHER PETE: "[Dishwasher Pete's] writing and storytelling skills command attention." -- Boston Globe "Pete is the Lone Ranger of dishwashers, the troubadour of soap and water." -- Christian Science Monitor